Foolproof dispenser of medical pills

ABSTRACT

A container for dispensing pills that might be harmful if taken by children or simple-minded persons; the device consisting of a novel closure that must be adjusted and positioned in several precise subsequent attitudes so to make a pill to travel a tortuous path between the container interior and a dispensing opening, the closure consisting of a rotatable cap on a stationary base, and wherein the precise subsequent steps are almost impossible by chance to be made by a child or simple adult, but which can be quickly and easy done by a knowledgeable adult.

imited States atent [1 1 Karltanen 1 Sept. 18, 1973 FOOLEROOF DISPENSEROF MEDICAL PHLLS [76] lnventor: Uno O. Karkanen, 6950 Center Rd.,

' Saginaw, Mich. 48604 [22] Filed: July 31, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 277,278

[52] 10.8. C1. 221/288, 206/42 [51] int. Ci 865d 83/00 [58] Field ofSearch 221/4, 75, 89, 167, 221/169, 288, l; 206/42 [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 3,313,441 4/196'7 Fadden 206/42 969,735 9/1910Thornber.... 221/75 3,289,885 12/1966 Villavces 221/288 2,707,576 5/1955Fowler 221/169 2,886,208 5/1959 Sinclair 221/288 Primary ExaminerRobertB. Reeves Assistant Examiner-H, Grant Skaggs, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A container for dispensing pills that might be harmful iftaken by children or simple-minded persons; the device consisting of anovel closure that must be adjusted and positioned in several precisesubsequent attitudes so to make a pill to travel a tortuous path betweenthe container interior and a dispensing; opening, the closure consistingof a rotatable cap on a stationary base, and wherein the precisesubsequent steps are almost impossible by chance to be made by a childor simple adult, but which can be quickly and easy done by aknowledgeable adult.

1 Claim, 9 Drawing Figures FOGLPROOF DISPENSER OF MEDICAL PILLS Thisinvention relates generally to pill dispensing containers. 7

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a foolproofdispenser of medicinal pills which cannot be opened by a little child ora simple-minded person, thus preventing them to swallow the same, andwherein the dispenser is of a design so that only a knowledgeable adultcan obtain the pills in a quick and easy manner.

Another object is to provide a foolproof dispenser of medicinal pillswhich consists of only one rotatable part and a stationary base that maycomprise a component of the cap assembly or which may alternately beintegral with the container, and wherein several exact steps andpositions must be taken so a pill travels a path from the containerinterior to a dispensing opening.

Other objects are to provide a foolproof dispenser of medicinal pillswhich is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged inconstruction, easy to use, and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the rotatable cap.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the stationary cap base.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the base.

FIG. 5 is a detail of a bridge on the underside of the cap.

FIGS. 6 through 9 show steps to successfully dispense a pill.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the foolproof dispenser It)consists of a rotatable cap 11 on a stationary base 12 that compriseseither a part of a container 13 or which is a separate cap membersecured on the container. The parts are of molded plastic.

Cap 11 may include three raised radial turners l4, l5, and 16 on its topfor easy turning, each turner being indicated such as by a number 17 soto be subsequently aligned with an arrow 18 on the base.'The capincludes a central pill dispensing opening 19, a void or depression 20on the underside of turner l5, and a circular baffle 21 on its undersidethat is interrupted at one point by a bridge 22 which is under theturner 16.

The base 12 includes a circular channel 23 on its upper side which iscrossed by a radial extending straight channel 24. A hole 25 through thebase is provided at the point where the channels intercept each other.Another hole 26 also goes through the base.

In use, to dispense a pill 26, three properly subsequent steps aretaken. First the turner 14 is lined up with arrow 18 so the hole 26aligns with void 20. The container is then tipped over so a pill 27drops from container 13, through hole 26 and into the void as shown inFIG. 6. The container is then tipped upright being slightly inclined sothat when the container is rotated, the pill drops from void 20 into theouter end of channel 24, as shown in FIG. 7. The incline prevents thepill to roll into hole 25 and back into the container; the hole 25 beingprovided for such purpose in case a child by chance succeeds in thefirst step of getting the pill into the channel 24. The cap is thenrotated while the container is still inclined, until turner 16 lines upwith arrow 18 so the bridge 22 closes over the hole 25, as shown in FIG.8. The container is now tipped over as shown by arrow 28 so to cause thepill to roll across the bridge and in the inner end of channel 24, whichis aligned with the dispensing opening 19, so that further tipping asshown by arrow 29 will cause the pill to roll out of the dispensingopening 19.

In FIG. 4 the outer end of straight channel 24 is shown sidewardlyflared at 30 as a modified design of the invention.

I claim:

1. In foolproof dispenser of medicinal pills, the combination of a capand a base, said cap being rotatable, said basebeing stationary, saidcap and base being on an end of a container of pills, and means wherebysaid pills are individually dispensed by subsequent steps in relativepositions of said cap and base, said base including an eccentricallylocated first opening vertically through said base, said first openingcommunicating with a concentriccircular channel upon the upper side ofsaid base, a raised central portion on said base surrounded by saidcircular channel, a radially extending channel crossing said circularchannel and extending from a center of said base to an outwardly blindend thereof which is short of the periphery of said base, a secondvertical opening through said base being located at a junction of saidcircular and radial channels; said cap having on its underside aconcentric downward circular baffle that slidably fits around saidraised central portion of said base, a concentric central openingvertically through said cap, an eccentrically located upward depressionon the underside of said cap for selective' alignment with saideccentric first opening of said base, and said circular baffle of saidcap having a radial opening therethrough communicating with a radialshort channel that fits slidably free in said circular channel of saidbase.

1. In foolproof dispenser of medicinal pills, the combination of a capand a base, said cap being rotatable, said base being stationary, saidcap and base being on an end of a container of pills, and means wherebysaid pills are individually dispensed by subsequent steps in relativepositions of said cap and base, said base including an eccentricallylocated first opening vertically through said base, said first openingcommunicating with a concentric circular channel upon the upper side ofsaid base, a raised central portion on said base surrounded by saidcircular channel, a radially extending channel crossing said circularchannel and extending from a center of said base to an outwardly blindend thereof which is short of the periphery of said base, a secondvertical opening through said base being located at a junction of saidcircular and radial channels; said cap having on its underside aconcentric downward circular baffle that slidably fits around saidraised central portion of said base, a concentric central openingvertically through said cap, an eccentrically located upward depressionon the underside of said cap for selective alignment with said eccentricfirst opening of said base, and said circular baffle of said cap havinga radial opening therethrough communicating with a radial short channelthat fits slidably free in said circular channel of said base.